Brian van Niekerk, CEO of the Rhino Group, decided to be part of the Crossways Agricultural development by means of building their show house to showcase their products under normal conditions. The idea was to build a house that is self-sustainable and to be completely of the grid. The design of the building was set to be durable and identifiably authentic part of the surrounding area.
The walls were constructed with Aruba Polystyrene blocks filled with concrete and then plastered
In order to achieve “green” status for the project, the architect made extensive use of off shutter finishes for the internal and external concrete walls. These feature walls display in turn a wood grain, as well as off shutter finishes. By attaching barbed wire fencing to the off shutter panels, the connection between the concrete and the surrounding area was made complete.
Polished concrete floors were extensively used as floor finishes and form part of its clean, open and durable appearance. In turn, the high gloss of the polished concrete floors help to reduce dependence on electricity and aid in saving energy.
This is an iconic project for the use of concrete and a building that the architect has successfully incorporated into its surroundings.
